Jose wants to be a starter next year

"In case they don't want me as a starter, I guess they're going to have to talk, because I want to be a starter and not be anything but a starter next year. I accepted the bullpen assignment now because I fully understand I'm struggling. But I'm going to be back. I'm going to be OK. Maybe for the remainder of the year I'll be in the bullpen, but I fully expect to start next year. If they don't want me as a starter next year, I want to be out of here. I'm going to show people I'm going to be all right. People can think whatever they want to think, but I don't care what people think. I haven't got the results, but I'll be back. I'm healthy and I feel good. That's the main thing."

"He's in our plans, but you got to look yourself in the mirror, and he's the one that made us make that decision. Everyone has their opinion to make that comment, but it's up to him about if he's starting or relieving next year. We'll see if we can use him out of the bullpen, and that's the way we're going to do it. If Jose starts throwing the ball the way we think he can throw the ball, then he will be a starter. If not, unfortunately some people have to make moves we don't want to do."

"I guarantee you Kenny Williams, myself, my coaching staff, the last thing we wanted to do was put one of the guys who pitched well for us to win the World Series down in the bullpen. When you make $10 million as a starter, he should be a starter. I don't think anyone should make $10 million in long relief, as a mop up. When he makes that comment, I say everyone has their opinion to make that comment, but it's up to him about if he's starting or relieving next year. If he's not going to start, he doesn't want to be here, he cannot make that call. That's Kenny Williams' call ... We don't want to make this move. We've been thinking for a little while, we've spent like a year and a half to make this move. We talk about doing this and we keep waiting and waiting and waiting and update and update and update every week about this. You just got to throw the ball the way he should and he will be in the starting rotation. ... I understand Jose's frustration, I understand Jose's opinion, I understand what he wants to do, but unfortunately he doesn't make that decision. It's easy to say, 'I want to be traded if they don't have it in the plans to start,' but making trade isn't like `I'm going to trade this guy for that guy and that's it.' I don't think Jose understands that particular thing. When you want to get traded someone wants to have you, would like to have you. He has to pitch better to do that."

"I think (Contreras is) going to be fine. I don't think he's going to lose his job. It's just one start to skip all these crazy things going around him. And around me and the team and hopefully that thing works. If Floyd throws the ball good, it's going to be a different scenario. It's going to be for one start, then see what happens."